


Shine like a  Diamond

by SomeCereals



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, I bet he is more complex than he lets on, Indirect Kiss, Mild Angst, cafe date, does this count as a character study, idk Cater seems interesting but we never get to see more sides of him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25247953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeCereals/pseuds/SomeCereals
Summary: Even Diamonds have flaws.
Relationships: Cater Diamond/Reader, Reader/Cater Diamond
Comments: 8
Kudos: 153





	Shine like a  Diamond

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest piece I have written in quite some time! It is heavily inspired by a roleplay session with a friend, in which I played Cater. A lot of the dialogue in this one-shot are based off of things I wrote for that roleplay.
> 
> Of course, I have gotten my friend's permission to use the dialogue they wrote for "Shine like a Diamond". I've also added a lot of additional text to help flesh it out into a story. Please enjoy~

“Oh, oh? Is that (Y/N)-chan I see?” Cater calls out to you with a wave as you exit a classroom. “Yo! (Y/N)-chan~ Are your classes over for the day?”

You glance up at the sound of his easygoing voice. “Ah, Cater-senpai. Yeah, classes just ended for me.”

“Awesome~ Got any plans for the weekend?”

As usual, he is only giving you half of his attention. The other 50% is on his phone.

“I mean, I have to study for the Alchemy quiz on Monday. But other than that, I don’t have any plans.” You raise an eyebrow--he’s _especially_ fixated on his phone today. “Hm? Whatcha looking at, Cater-senpai?”

Cater glances up from his screen and grins. “I’m glad you asked! See, there’s this stylish new cafe that’s opening in town--Aaaand I wanted to go! I thought it would be more fun to bring a friend along for the experience!

He leans forward with a teasing smirk. “So, what do you think about joining me? Saturday, 9 am sharp! My treat~”

You ponder the offer. Free food sounds like a steal--plus, you could never turn down an opportunity to hang out with Cater.

“You’ve got yourself a partner."

“Great!” Before you know it, Cater has a hand wrapped around your shoulder and his phone in front of your face. Say ‘ _cafe date_ ’!”

**CLICK!!**

“What’s your MagiCam handle? I’ll tag you!” Caters fingers are already flying across the keyboard, punching up a list of tags. _#cafe date #nrc #weekend hangout #featuring my bff_

“Huh?” You look at him incredulously.

“It’s for my social media! Duh!” Cater winks.

“Ah, you are definitely a spontaneous one…” You hug your books closer to your chest. 

“Hehe~ It may look that way at a glance, but…” His smile unravels for a second there, becoming something more solemn. “There’s more to it than meets the eye, you know.”

He perks right back up. “Great, so! I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

You chuckle nervously. “Gotcha, Cater-senpai.”

He starts to head off towards the Mirror Chamber, but stops after a few steps. “Oh, and remember to wear something cute! It’s a date, after all!”

“...Say _what_ now?”

“Mm? Nothing, nothing~” Cater laughs, brushing off your question easily. “Look, I gotta run now, (Y/N)-chan! I can hear my dorm leader shouting at me already: ‘ _Cater-kun! You must paint these roses red!_ ’ I’ll get reprimanded if I’m late~”

You eye him suspiciously, but allow him to scamper off without another protest.

* * *

The fated day and the fated time soon rolls around.

You stand at the gates to Night Raven College, dressed in a simple red sundress and wedges. Hopefully Cater finds it to be satisfactory.

And speaking of Cater, there he is--casually leaning against the bus sign, hands in his pockets. He wears a pair of white pants, laced boots, and a graphic T-shirt--a sea of diamonds and multicolored dots. A jacket is thrown on top, the Night Raven College logo emblazoned on the back.

He looks like he just walked off of a glossy fashion magazine cover.

Cater catches your eye and waves--and you wave back as you approach.

“Uwaaaah, you look super cute, (Y/N)-chan!” he gushes, whipping out his phone. “Here, smile for the camera!”

**CLICK!!**

“Your handle?” Cater asks. “You never told me yesterday, since we got sidetracked.”

“Ah, I don't know if you would believe me, but...I actually don't have one!” you admit, making jazz hands. “Crowley kinda just dumped this phone on me suddenly before break and things kept popping up so…yeah.”

Cater looks genuinely surprised, taken aback, even. “ _Ehhh_? I didn’t even know there were people in this day and age without MagiCam accounts!”

You pout. “We exist!”

“That’s no way to live,” Cater sighs, shaking his head. “Look, I can help you set one up on the bus ride to town.”

“Well, alright. I might as well see what the fuss is all about, since you’re constantly on MagiCam.”

“Oh! And speaking of our ride--” Cater points. “There it is now, right on cue.”

Just as he says, a vehicle is pulling up. What a strange looking bus…! It resembles a massive cat, with many legs instead of wheels and the bushy tail of a racoon--the bus’s headlights composing the cat’s face and teeth. There is also a disturbing lack of glass panes for the windows.

“Come on!” Cater gently tugs you on. “It’s just the Toto-kun bus. Nothing to be afraid of.”

You board and sit in the first available seats you can find. You are side by side—you in the window seat, Cater in the aisle seat.

A number of other students in plainclothes occupy the bus. They all seem to be just as relaxed as Cater, unconcerned with the fact that they are seated inside a strange cat bus--so you, too, relax.

“Alright! Let’s see that phone.”

You produce the item in question. “Right here.”

The wallpaper is of Grim making stupid faces.

Cater stares at your device. “Whoa, this is an _ancient_ model. I guess the headmaster isn’t all that tech-saavy, huh?”

“The crow is a bit of a cheapskate,” you mutter. “Ah, I bet he probably forgot about trying to send me home.”

“Ahahah! you think so?” His laugh is light, so his words do not come off as unkind as they actually are.

“Well, it's good that I'm in no hurry.” You chuckle--awkwardly. “I'm just trying to enjoy the time I do end up staying here. I...I do admit I'll miss you guys though. If I do go home, I mean.”

“Aw, don’t be like that! Today’s meant to be fun, right?” Cater smiles, poking at your chin. “Come on, let’s see a smile!”

“Ah, sorry. Just a couple of things floating around in my mind,” you confess. “Erm...Now setting up MagiCam?”

“Right! Sooo--you’ll need to enter your personal info. Then pick a username, and preferably set a profile picture, too.” Cater points to various things on your phone screen and walks you through the process.

“Gotcha.” You will be _Grimlins_ on MagiCam.

“...And that’s pretty much it. Follow who you like! The button functions are pretty self explanatory.” Cater shows you his own phone screen, which is littered with red, black, and diamond. “I would say pick an aesthetic and stick with it, but you don’t really need to do that unless you wanna become an influencer or something.”

“Ah, got it.” A thought dawns on you. “How can I follow _you,_ senpai?”

“Hehe, I thought you’d never ask~” Cater points to a name on his screen. “This is me! Feel free to give me a follow if you like.”

You do.

“Slowly learning and making progress!” you cheer, giving him a tiny air fist bump.

“Haha, you’re really getting the hang of this!”

The bus crawls to a stop.

Cater’s eyes sharpen. “Oh, hey. Check it out, it‘s some RSA students.”

“Really? I didn't think their school would be this close by.”

He shrugs. “Yeah. We share a bus route to town. Our schools may not like each other, but it’s convenient to pool the costs for the bus company.”

You stare at him. You hadn’t expected the carefree, flirtatious Cater-senpai to be so knowledgeable.

You tilt your head to one side. “Hey senpai, you sure know a lot of specific details about our schools.”

“Huh? Oh. I guess I do.” He laughs. _A deflection._

“You also do this a lot.” You slightly frown and gesture at him. “You never _really_ give anyone a straight answer, is there a reason why?”

“Mm?”

“I mean that you always dodge my questions, senpai,” you clarify.

“Well.” Cater tucks his phone away in his jacket pocket. “That’s because some things are better left unknown. Some girls prefer the mysterious type, you know?”

He says it convincingly enough, but you wonder if this, too, is another statement to avoid directly answering the question.

You sigh. Clearly he is not willing to talk. “Well, I hope that you'll open up more to me, senpai.”

“That’s what today is for, isn’t it?”

You try to cheer up, to get your mind off of Cater--him and his million secrets.

“Yep! What kind of cafe are we going to, anyways?”

“Hmm. If I had to describe it, it’s a bit on the quaint side. It mostly serves sandwiches and sweets. It can be ‘grab and go’ or ‘stay and dine’ depending on your mood.” Cater wags a finger. “We’ll be dining in though! Just to soak up that atmosphere.”

You nod. “Ah, that reminds me, you don't really like sweets, right?”

“Nope! Can’t stand that stuff.” Cater beams. “That’s where _you_ come in!”

You’re deadpan.

“See, see~ Because…Sweets would look sooo nice on my post history. It matches my aesthetic so well, don’t you think so?” Cater pauses. “Buuut, I don’t want to waste money on stuff I won’t touch, so I figured I’d kill two bird with one stone by dragging you along~”

Ah. So that was his plan all along. You _knew_ that there was _something_ he was hiding behind that relaxed persona of his.

“Damn, I've been roped into another scheme, haven't I?”

“Hehe~ You really, _really_ should know better by now, (Y/N)-chan!” Cater gives a devilish grin. “I’m the scheming sort of man.”

“I know, I know,” you laugh. “Ace does the same thing too; I thought I wouldn't fall for it again. Ah...I guess I underestimated you.” You shake a fist at him jokingly.

“...Tch.”

You glance up at the sound.

An unfamiliar mob of boys stands nearby, whispering to one another and exchanging knowing looks. You can’t catch their entire conversation, but you can tell from the bits and pieces that you _do_ manage to catch that it’s nothing good.

“Erm...senpai?”

Cater follows your gaze and shakes his head. “Ignore it. It’s not worth it to engage.”

You lower your voice to a whisper. “Are they from another school?”

Cater nods. “RSA. Our schools don’t get along, remember?”

You catch a few more bits of their conversation.

“...NRC scum.”

“...Trash.”

“...Low life.”

“Do not engage.” Cater meets your gaze and holds it. “Trust me. I’ve dealt with enough trolls and online haters to know. Feeding them makes it worse. It gives them the validation they want. They’ll get bored and move on eventually.”

“...Fine. I trust you, senpai.” You lower your voice even more. “But they really can't just say things like that…”

“People will be people, y’know?” Cater shrugs. “And people can really suck sometimes.”

He leans back in his bus seat. “Funny how RSA is supposedly a school for royals and those ‘pure of heart’, yet they still attract this sort. I mean, NRC isn’t perfect either, but…” his voice trails off.

“It's an interesting parallel huh?”

“Mm.”

The bus comes to another stop--and Cater straightens in his seat.

“Oh—hey. Perfect timing. This is where we get off.”

* * *

As you are climbing off the bus, Cater stumbles forward from a forceful shove from behind. He doesn’t fall on the sidewalk, but he comes close to it.

“Ah…!”

“Oi, watch where you’re going!”

It’s one of the RSA students. And he does _not_ look happy.

“Hey…!” You hurriedly rush to Cater’s side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m all good. Don’t worry about it.” He offers a weak laugh. “Ahahah…(Y/N)-chan, you kinda have a scary look on your face right now.”

Indeed, your eyes are burning. You snap to attention and bark at the group of RSA students.

“You can't just do things like that! Just because we're from different schools doesn't give you the right to treat us like this!”

The leader of the group staggers toward you with a growl. At first glance, he resembles a prince that you would find in the pages of a fairy tale. Tall and broad-chested, with cleaning teeth and golden hair slicked back.

But his soul looks ugly.

“ _Hah?_ Who says we can’t?” The leader demands.

“Yeah. He was in our way,” a cronie adds.

“He should have been walking faster,” a third chimes in.

A cold rage encases your veins--and you smack the leader. “You all are a _shame_ to the school you represent, you know that, right?”

Cater’s eyes widen. “H-Hey, (Y/N)-chan! Didn’t I say to not…”

“...!” The leader’s hand flies to his face, groping at the spot where he had been slapped. An angry red welt is blossoming on his skin. He gnashes his pearly white teeth.

“How _dare_ you!”

“Do you _know_ who we are?!”

You gaze at the RSA mob through half-lidded eyes and snort. “No, should I?”

Cater grabs your hand and pulls you back, hissing. “(Y/N)-chan…! O-Oi!”

“Eh?”

“Don’t go and pick a fight with…”

“Hah?!” The leader snarls, cracking his fists. “You really think we’re just gonna stand here and _take_ that?!”

“Square up, punk!”

“Yeah, prepare to throw down!”

The leader glares at his lackies. “No, you idiots! He may be from NRC, but he didn’t do anything _that_ offensive--except maybe wearing that ugly shirt. It’s the _girl_ that deserves to get punished.”

“Go on ahead, at least I'm not the one resorting to pushing around random students who haven't done anything!” you shout--against your better judgement.

“Alright, that’s it! You’re done for, bitch...!” The leader’s nostrils are flaring. He doesn’t seem prince-like anymore--more like an angry bull.

You glare as intensely as you can, unwilling to back down--even in your sundress and wedges. Maybe you can throw your shoes at this lug head.

Suddenly, Cater puts himself between you and the RSA students.

“Eh? Cater-senpai…”

“Let me handle this. I’ve got a lot of experience with quelling drama.” He reassures you with a wink, then addresses the RSA boys. “Hey now, let’s all calm down. Today’s one of the two precious days we get off from lessons. We should be using it to relax, not get all worked up. That’s what school’s for, right?”

But the RSA boys get even _more_ agitated instead.

“Oi, are you this chick’s boyfriend or somethin’?”

“He must be, boss. He’s just as ugly as that wretch! They belong together.”

“You need to keep your woman in line. What a rude cunt!”

Cater’s mouth twitches. His easygoing smile falters.

“Excuse me?"

“You heard me!”

Cater glances at you over his shoulder. “...(Y/N)-chan. You remember the address of the cafe, right?”

“Yeah. Why, senpai?”

“Go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Your eyebrows knit geother. “And leave you here? No way.”

“I have some business with these guys to take care of. I’ve got this.” Cater smiles, as sunny as ever--but there is also a darkness, clouds forming. “You trust me, right?”

You stare back, uncertain. “...Fine.”

“Good.”

“Give ‘em hell, senpai.”

“Roger~”

“OI! What are you two whispering about over there?! You gonna compensate us for wasting our time, or are we gonna have to beat some sense into you losers?!”

“Sorry, sorry~” Cater turns back to the mob as you vanish around a corner. “I’ll get to you guys now, okay?”

His eyes seem to glow with malice.

“ _Split Card._ ”

“....Eh?”

The RSA boys suddenly find themselves being assaulted from nearly all sides. 

A hard blow to the gut.

A good kick to the groin.

A sharp left hook.

It is over before they even realize what is happening. There is no time to react with anything but cries of pain and shouts for uncle.

They collapse, one by one, into a pile on the sidewalk. Flies dropping dead--or rather, nearly dead. The last to go down is their brute of a leader, landing with a harsh CRUNCH beside the pile of his fallen goons.

“G-Grk…!” In desperation, he fumbles for his magical pen, which has clattered to the ground from his breast pocket.

“Oopsie,” Cater says in a sing-song tone. He steps on the leader’s magical pen, snapping it clean in half.

Footsteps.

The leader gapes in horror as multiple Caters ascend, surrounding him. They all wear the same cheerful expression, boast the same dark aura.

“Haaah~” The original Cater sighs, throwing his arms up. “I thought you guys would be more of a challenge from how big your talk was. But I guess it was just that, huh—just talk, that is.”

Cater crouches down and smiles brightly at the fallen RSA students. “Hey, hey~ Are you still conscious...?”

“G-GAH...! G-Get away from me, you freak...!” The leader groans. He would scurry away if he had any strength left in him--but he does not.

“Hey now~ ‘Freak’ is kinda harsh, don’t you think?” Cater laughs, but his smile does not reach his eyes. “I hope you guys learned your lesson from this. You can say whatever you like about me—I don’t care what you think about _me._ ”

His expression darkens.

“Buuuut...If you ever say something like that again about (Y/N)-chan, you’d best begin looking for a new school far, far away from here—far, far away from _me_.”

With that remark, Cater stands up, smoothing out his jacket. Checking it for stray blood stains and other particles of visible grime.

“And now for my date! How do I look?”

“Lookin’ good, Cater!”

“Aw, thanks, Cater!”

“I wasn’t talking to _you,_ Cater! I was talking to Cater!”

“I know, Cater! _Geez,_ you’re _such_ a Cater!”

“Takes a Cater to know a Cater, Cater!”

He is off.

* * *

You stand in front of the cafe, anxiously rocking back and forth as you await Cater’s arrival-but luckily for you, you do not have to wait long.

“(Y/N)!” Cater appears from your left hand side and peers at your face. “Hehe, sorry~ I’m not late, am I?”

You immediately perk up at the sight of him. “You gave ‘em hell, right?”

“Haha, of course!” Cater waves his hand nonchalantly. “But let’s not worry about that. We’re here to have fun and relax, right?”

Your eyes scan him. “You...you didn't get hurt though, did you?”

“No worries! You beloved Cay-kun is--” he pauses to make a fist and taps his own forehead with it, “a-oh- _Cay_ ~”

You giggle at the silly desture. “That's great to hear. I couldn't bear it if you got hurt because of me, senpai.”

“Mm~ That makes me happy to hear.” Cater holds the door to the cafe open for you and gestures. “C’mon. Let’s go. You must be starving, right? You can order whatever you want—my treat for dragging you all the way out here.

“Thank you, sir.” You tip an imaginary hat.

Cater bows jokingly. “Milady.”

* * *

Once you are inside, you see how _quaint_ it really is. The cafe is small, but warm. Muted, sepia-tones colors for the table cloths and decor. A small vase of violets at each table. A case of small cakes and other treats.

Cute—very cute.

“Table for two!”

You are seated and handed menus by an older man with jolly eyes. Rotund and rosy-cheeked, his belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” The waiter disappears into the back.

“So, what do you feel like having?” Cater inquires.

“Ooo, could I have a slice of that strawberry shortcake?” You cock an eyebrow. “What are you getting, senpai?”

“Mm. Just like—” Cater pauses to flip to the back of the menu, which displays savory options instead of sweets. “—a bagel or somethin’. It’s not the cutest food, but it’s something."

“Hmmm.” You follow his lead and flip your menu over. “I think there's this soup you might like. It looks garnished as well, it would look fancy, right?”

“Oh, that _does_ look pretty good.” Cater laughs. “Nice catch, (Y/N)-chan~”

“Hehe!”

The orders are placed. The rotund waiter informs you, of course, that you have made “excellent choices”.

The service is fast--your food is delivered in a flash.

The slice of strawberry shortcake placed before you looks absolutely pristine--soft sponge piled high with a fluffy, whipped cream frosting, strawberries woven throughout. Cater’s soup also looks tempting--a rich and thick tomato broth, topped with chopped chives and spices, served with a side of saltine crackers.

“Oh, before we dig in—mind if I take pictures?” Cater waves his phone in his hand.

“Go on ahead. That's why we're here, right?”

“Thanks~”

**CLICK CLICK CLICK!!**

“And one more!” Cater looks at you, an eager look on his face. “Strike a cute poke!”

“What?” You pause, your fork hovering above your slice of cake.

**CLICK CLICK CLICK!!**

Cater is already clicking away at your slightly dumbfounded face. Some at slightly different angles, some with him getting in the frame as well.

“Hahaha, perfect! You’re a natural at this~”

**CLICK!!**

The final shot is taken.

“Aaah, thanks for putting up with that.” He tucks his phone away and picks up his spoon. “Now, let’s dig in~“

You sit there, stunned for a moment--but you laugh it off bashfully.

“Yeah, let's eat!”

The strawberry shortcake is delicious--as expected, it tastes just as good as it looks. Did you ever have any doubt about your senpai’s tastes?

Cater laughs at the bits of whipped cream on your lip as you eat. He’s enjoying his own soup in slow, deliberate ladles into his mouth. You eye his bowl curiously--and Cater catches your gaze.

“Want some?”

“Can I?”

“Sure, it’s no problem. Ah—but they only gave me one spoon. Are you okay with that, (Y/N)-chan?” A devious smile blossoms on Cater’s face. “That’d be like an indirect kiss, y’know~”

Your cheeks burn, but you manage to stutter, “E-eh? Y-Yeah, sure...It's just soup.”

“Alright~ Go ahead, then.” He offers you his spoon.

You accept it--and as you are sampling the rich tomato broth, the waiter returns.

“Excuse me.”

“Hm?” Cater glances up at the man. “What is it?”

“I...I do apologize if I am interrupting your date, sir. However…” the waiter’s voice trails off. “It is my daughter. She thinks you are one of those online celebrities, and she wishes to meet you. Again, I’m terribly sorry for the sudden request...”

Cater glances at you to gauge your reaction, then back at the waiter.

You smile reassuringly. “It's fine, senpai. You're an influencer, right? So duty calls.”

“Ahh, thanks for being so accommodating, (Y/N)-chan~ You’re the best.” Cater rises from his seat. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

You salute.

He follows the waiter behind the counter. There is a high-pitched squeal of excitement.

A few minutes pass. Then Cater returns, looking slightly uncomfortable. Still, he offers you the biggest smile he can muster when he sits back down and polishes off the rest of his soup.

“Hey, senpai. Did something happen?”

“I’ll tell you on the way back.” Cater’s eyes dart to the counter, then to you. “Oh—and we don’t need to worry about the check. The owner—that nice uncle—he said the food’s free.”

“Oh, that's nice of him.”

“Mhm.”

Cater looks distracted.

* * *

His moodiness persists on the bus ride back to NRC. Cater stares absentmindedly out of the window, watching the buildings drift by. He is only roused out of his daze when you tug on his sleeve.

“You good?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah.” His smile is strained. “Sorry, sorry~ My mind’s been allll over the place today. We were super busy, huh?”

You sigh at him. “It's not good to keep to yourself all the time, you know.”

“Haha, my bad. I guess I should tell you what happened back there, huh?”

“Please--as long you're comfortable of course.”

“Yeah, no worries.” His face suddenly shifts--and he does not wear unease well. “So…”

Cater scratches the back of his neck.

“That waiter...he wasn’t joking when he said his daughter was a fan. She was like... _intense._ Really, _really_ intense. As in... She threw herself at me. Hard. Said stuff like how she’s always dreamed of meeting me in real life, that I was her ideal man. That type of thing.”

He shakes his head. “I turned her down, of course. But she got kind of pushy. Her old man tried to talk some sense into her, but she just wasn’t getting it. That’s why the food was free.”

“Oh...She didn't do anything to you, did she?”

“Nah, nothing like that. It just...made me uncomfortable.” Cater frowns. “I did choose this kinda lifestyle, so it’s not like stuff like this is entirely unheard of...like, I’m sure Vil deals with tons more of this sort of thing than I do. But…”

His face darkens.

“That’s not the real me. Everything my fans see on MagiCam...That’s not really me. It’s not entirely a fabrication, either, but... It’s the best sides of myself. Edited. Filtered. Planned. Just like today’s date.”

He’s serious, stark. Nothing like the easygoing, flirtatious senpai that had invited you out before.

“The ‘Cater’ I present to my followers isn’t the same ‘Cater’ sitting next to you on this bus right now. There’s the ‘perfect’ me they want and then the ‘imperfect’ me that I actually am. And if I’m loved for being ‘perfect’...”

Cater shakes his head. “Well. That’d be some fake love right there, huh?”

A moment of silence elapses.

“...Hey, senpai,” you pipe up, your head leaning against his shoulder. “Do you get tired of putting up those fronts?”

Cater stares at you, but he does not resist.

“...Sometimes, if I’m being entirely honest.” He turns his phone over in his hands. “But every card has two sides to them, y’know? Things like this are bound to happen.”

“In a card game, you only show your opponent one side. If they end up picking just the right card to take from your hand, then it’s game over for you. Fronts are sometimes a necessary evil.”

You look him right in the eye. “If it becomes too much, you can talk to me. Or even those back at the dorm...I just don't like thinking of you going through on your own, you know?”

Cater chuckles--it is the light hearted sort.

“Hmmm, I dunno about that. There are parts of myself I haven’t shown even _you_ yet. I’m not sure you’d like to see what else I’ve got hidden in my cards.”

“Everyone has their flaws and imperfections, Cater,” you point out, “even Diamonds. I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't accept that, too.”

“Oh?” Cater grins at you, sly as a fox. “What about being a good _girl_ friend?”

“Ah…” you flush, stammering out your response. “W-Wha…”

“Hahah~ Juuust kidding!” Cater laughs--but then his face becomes serious again. “Unless...?”

“G-Geez, wh-what are you saying, senpai?!”

He drinks in your bewildered expression and laughs again. For the first time in forever, you feel like you’re seeing the real Cater, hearing his real laugh.

“Ahahah~ You’re taking this sooo seriously, (Y/N)-chan! That’s adorable! But don’t worry~ I don’t expect an answer right away. A relationship is a really important decision to make—and you’d better know what you’re signing up for before you decide to place your bets.”

His voice lowers, his expression sultry. “It’s all or nothing—and what’s at stake is your heart.”

Your entire face goes red--and you bury your face in his shoulder to hide. You mumble out a muffled reply.

“...I would very much enjoy that…”

“Eh? Wow, you sure are bold, hm?” Cater runs a hand through your hair. You sigh, welcoming his touch. “You sure you don’t wanna take that back?”

You peek up and take a deep breath. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Heh.” He aggressively ruffles your hair. “Tell that to my other 101 personalities—Cater, Cater, Cater, and, of course, Cater.”

He smiles—a gentle curve, unlike exaggerated grins plastered all over his MagiCam feed. “...I love you, (Y/N)-chan. All of you. The good and the bad.”

“And I love you too, Cater. All 101 personalities.”

“...What about my 102nd personality?”

“Hold up, you said 101. Where did the extra come from?” you demand, pouting.

Cater points to himself. “This Cater right here. Your imperfect Diamond.”

“Yep. That’s right. You’re my imperfect Diamond.”

Your heart melts--and you swiftly pull him in for a kiss, right on the lips.

* * *

Later that night, your phone goes off.

A new notification, a post on MagiCam, tagging you.

The caption reads, _On a cafe date with my cute girlfriend!_

You smile to yourself.

And you like the post.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed reading this piece, please check out my Twisted Wonderland writing blog and consider sending in a request of your own (though currently I am not accepting new requests)! I usually only post my longer pieces to AO3 (1000+ words), but you can find a lot of my shorter one shots on the blog.
> 
> Link is: https://raven-at-the-writing-desk.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thank you for your time~


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